Manhattan University Athletics

Manhattan-Eastern Michigan Box Score
Manhattan-Villanova Box Score

MADEIRA BEACH, FL – The Manhattan College softball team opened its 2016 campaign on Friday with a pair of games at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational Presented by HumaneX.  The Jaspers (1-1) fell to Eastern Michigan (2-5) by an 8-6 count before rallying from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Villanova (0-2) 6-5 in eight innings at the Madeira Beach Softball Complex.

After allowing a run in the top of the first against Eastern Michigan, Manhattan responded with a four-spot in the bottom half of the inning.  Lauren Pitney (Ansonia, CT) reached on an error to start the rally, then Elena Bowman (San Mateo, CA) drew a walk and Jenn Vazquez (Fairfield, CT) singled to load the bases.  The Jaspers got on the board on the Eagles' second error of the inning, and Manhattan scored again when Stephanie Reinhardt (Albany, NY) was hit by a pitch.  The Jaspers added two more runs on bases loaded walks to Victoria Ross (Bloomfield, NJ) and Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, NJ).

However, Eastern Michigan rallied for six runs in the top of the second.  Olivia Logan drove in two runs on a single before Michel Krieghauser belted a three-run homer to left center that put the Eagles up 7-4.  Eastern Michigan picked up another one in the fourth when Logan scored on Aoife Duffy's single.

Alexa Dawid (Milford, CT) walked leading off the bottom of the fourth, and she came around on Pitney's double to center.  She moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a Vazquez groundout.  Matazinsky followed with a double, but Reinhardt struck out to end the inning.

It remained that until the bottom of the seventh, when Reinhardt drew a leadoff walk after fouling off nine straight 3-2 pitches.  A walk to pinch hitter Anna Crowley (Eastchester, NY) put the tying run on base with one out.  However, Eastern Michigan pitcher Nicolle Miranda got a strikeout and a popup to finish off the Eagles' 8-6 triumph.

Pitney's RBI double was one of just three Manhattan hits in the game.  She also scored two runs.  Matazinsky drove in a run with a double, while Vazquez's single was the Jaspers' only other hit.  Erin Hamm (Collegeville, PA) got the start in the circle and took the loss.  She allowed seven runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits in 1.2 innings.  Hamm (0-1) struck out one and walked three.  Danielle Gabriel (Island Heights, NJ) gave up just one run on one hit with three strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings.  She retired the last 10 Eagles she faced in the contest.

Eastern Michigan had four hits in the game.  Lucy Lopez and Logan both scored twice, while Logan also drove in a pair of runs.  Kriegshauser finished 1-for-4 with three RBIs.  Starting pitcher Trisha Trujillo lasted 0.2 innings, giving up four unearned runs on one hit with three walks and two strikeouts.  Abbie Minsker (1-1) earned the win after allowing two runs on two hits, striking out four and walking three in 5.2 innings.  Miranda struck out one and walked one over the final 0.2 innings to pick up the save.

In Manhattan's game against Villanova, the Jaspers fell into an early hole, as the Wildcats scored five times in the top of the second.  The Jaspers got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third.  After Dawid singled to left and Pitney was hit by a pitch, Bowman ripped a two-run double to left center to cut Villanova's lead to 5-2.

Bowman got another Manhattan rally started with her one-out single in the fifth.  After Vazquez reached on a fielder's choice, Matazinsky crushed a pitch deep to left field.  Her first home run of the year brought the Jaspers within one, 5-4.

Villanova was still leading 5-4 when Pitney walked leading off the bottom of the seventh.  Bowman then singled before Manhattan tied the game on a Vazquez single up the middle.  After Reinhardt singled to load the bases with one out, Kat Prevo (San Diego, CA) sent a grounder towards third.  The Wildcats retired Bowman at home and got the out at first to complete the double play and send the contest into extra innings.

With the international tiebreaker in effect, each team had a runner placed on second base to begin each extra inning.  Villanova called upon Kate Poppe to pinch run in the top of the eighth, but she was thrown out trying to score on Tianah Hathaway's deep fly ball to left.  Husk then flew to right to end the inning.

Prevo was placed on second in Manhattan's half of the inning, and she moved to third on a single by Cutler.  She then came across on a wild pitch, giving the Jaspers a 6-5 victory.

For the Jaspers, Bowman finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Prevo went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Matazinsky was 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs.  She also got the start in the circle and tossed 1.2 innings.  Matazinsky gave up five runs on six hits, struck out one and walked one.  Stephanie Kristo (San Jose, CA) (1-0) relieved Matazinsky in the second and pitched 6.1 shutout innings to earn her first collegiate win.  Kristo surrendered four hits, struck out three and walked two.

Hathaway and Sierra McConnell each had two of the Wildcats' 10 hits.  Hathaway also scored a run and drove in another.  Jordan Prutzer (0-1) pitched four innings and took the loss.  She surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked two and struck out one.  Brette Lawrence yielded two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.  Kalee Smith faced three batters, giving up a run, two hits and a walk.